The action and wonder never stop in this intriguing sequel.
A ragtag crew heads back into a magical house in this follow-up to The Accursed Inheritance of Henrietta Achilles (2020).
After being flushed out of a skyscraperlike tower due to a burst pipe, Henrietta leads a group of bandits and soldiers back inside to fix the pipes, save the village from the flood, and continue their hunt for the hidden treasure. It’s not all fun and games though, as Henrietta faces moments of doubt; she’s unsure how to properly wield the keys she inherited as the wizard’s heir. While the group splits up and experiences various attacks and mishaps, Henrietta forges ahead and finds a boy made of candle wax who promises to help her—but danger lurks around every corner. The striking illustrations are both clear and whimsical, bringing to life the wondrous creatures and imaginative magical elements that fill the story. Rife with humorous moments, this graphic novel is overall a delight. However, the presence of a dozen or so major characters makes it hard for them all to shine, and the clunky introduction of some characters’ backstories during the war years ago muddies the otherwise tight, action-packed plot. For those interested in unravelling the additional secrets introduced in this installment, a cliffhanger ending fortunately promises more to come. The cast appears mainly White and mostly male.
The action and wonder never stop in this intriguing sequel. (Graphic fantasy. 12-18)Pub Date: Nov. 10, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-72841-287-0
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Review Posted Online: Aug. 17, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A warm, sweet, lovely tale of a world readers will want to live in.
In a not-so-distant future where changing one’s physical features is as easy as purchasing nanobot mods, Sunati falls for Austen, a girl who always looks the same.
Since Austen never changes, Sunati admires what she assumes is her bravery and confidence. As Sunati and Austen chat more, Austen bluntly asks Sunati if she only wants to get to know her more because of her medical condition, which prevents her from using mods. As they gradually grow closer, Sunati learns how to interact more respectfully with those who have overactive immune systems as well as to share her feelings more honestly. Austen, in turn, learns to trust Sunati. This beautifully illustrated slice-of-life tale that shows two young women of color getting to know each other and creating a relationship is so warm and charming that readers will hardly notice how much they are learning about how to better interact with folx who are different from themselves and the importance of not making assumptions. The story also successfully weaves in agender, genderfluid, and asexual characters as well as the subjects of parenting and colorism into the natural arc of Sunati and Austen’s developing story. The soft, romantic artwork evokes hazy watercolors. The speech bubbles are predominantly pink and blue, and the varied layout will maintain readers’ interest.
A warm, sweet, lovely tale of a world readers will want to live in. (Graphic romance. 12-18)Pub Date: May 19, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-4998-1110-0
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Little Bee Books
Review Posted Online: March 24, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
BOOK REVIEW
PERSPECTIVES
Hinds adds another magnificent adaptation to his oeuvre (King Lear, 2009, etc.) with this stunning graphic retelling of Homer’s epic. Following Odysseus’s journey to return home to his beloved wife, Penelope, readers are transported into a world that easily combines the realistic and the fantastic. Gods mingle with the mortals, and not heeding their warnings could lead to quick danger; being mere men, Odysseus and his crew often make hasty errors in judgment and must face challenging consequences. Lush watercolors move with fluid lines throughout this reimagining. The artist’s use of color is especially striking: His battle scenes are ample, bloodily scarlet affairs, and Polyphemus’s cave is a stifling orange; he depicts the underworld as a colorless, mirthless void, domestic spaces in warm tans, the all-encircling sea in a light Mediterranean blue and some of the far-away islands in almost tangibly growing greens. Don’t confuse this hefty, respectful adaptation with some of the other recent ones; this one holds nothing back and is proudly, grittily realistic rather than cheerfully cartoonish. Big, bold, beautiful. (notes) (Graphic classic. YA)
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-7636-4266-2
Page Count: 256
Publisher: Candlewick
Review Posted Online: Sept. 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Oct. 1, 2010
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